


Come Whatever May

by lonesomewriter



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Coming Out, M/M, Self-Doubt, Supportive Otabek Altin, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-13 06:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21239522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lonesomewriter/pseuds/lonesomewriter
Summary: Today is the day Yuri has both feared and anticipated for a long time now—the day he will come out to his best friend as transgender. He has never done this before, and the whole situation terrifies him greatly. But to Yuri’s luck, Otabek is the best and most supportive best friend anyone could hope for.





	Come Whatever May

**Author's Note:**

> This is my work for the amazing [Otayuri Big Bang](https://otayuribigbang.tumblr.com/)!! I was paired with the wonderful [icetiiger](https://icetiiger.tumblr.com/), the most lovely art they made is at the end of this fic <3<3<3

If this world was a little kinder to its residents, Yuri Plisetsky was sure he wouldn't feel so goddamn scared right now. But there was nothing he could do to change the fact that this was already the second time he was bending over the toilet today, retching nothing out of his rampaging stomach.

Tiny beads of sweat immediately stuck his forehead into the toilet ring when he finally gave up and collapsed against the white porcelain, his entire body convulsing violently. He hated every inch of his being at the moment, and it felt as if his body hated him back in kind.

If he was quick, he could make it through a shower before Otabek would arrive, but Yuri didn't know if he was mentally prepared enough to do it. His limbs were too heavy, his bones replaced with lead. 

He was supposed to be having a lazy weekend together with his best friend, as Yuri’s grandfather was visiting an old friend and the house would be empty. Otabek had promised to bring some horror movies with him, and they’d be making food together, having fun like they always did together. If it was any other time, Yuri would be overjoyed to have Otabek coming over. But today was different.

Today, Yuri would finally tell Otabek about his gender identity.

And to be frank, Yuri was terrified.

Rationally, he knew Otabek wasn’t the kind of person who would ridicule him or disrespect his identity, but his numbing self-doubt was clouding his mind, making a mountain out of that tiniest crumb of nonexistent possibility that Otabek would turn out to be an asshole. Because if he - if his best friend, the only friend Yuri really had - would tell him he was a  _ freak _ , Yuri’s whole world would crumble down and burn to dust.

Placing so much trust on someone scared Yuri so much it made him physically sick. Ever since his parents had left him to his grandfather's care, he had never trusted anyone. He had learned the hard way that in order to survive in this world, one must keep their true self hidden. And it had worked perfectly.

Except for the tiny fact that if Yuri continued to live in the lies any longer, he would die.

Sighing, Yuri propped himself up with his shaking hands, pressing at his stomach in hopes of finally calming it down. He closed his eyes, inhaled deep and counted to ten. He could do it, he was  _ strong _ .

After having caught his breath, he turned towards the shower, determined to make it through. Quickly shedding off his dingy clothes, Yuri stepped under the douche, flinching when the freezing water hit his skin. No matter how many harsh winters he had endured in his lifetime, Yuri knew he’d never grow to enjoy taking cold showers. 

Without waiting for the temperature to rise, Yuri grabbed the soap and washed himself quickly, being done in a record time. After gently patting his hair dry with the towel, he tiptoed to his bedroom and fished out an oversized t-shirt and a purple hoodie to put on, the crawling uneasiness underneath his skin settling down immensely when his body was savely covered up. His wet skin stick to the shirt, but Yuri was more than used to the sensation and could mostly ignore it completely.

Potya was sleeping on his bed, and Yuri stopped in his track for a moment to pet her fur softly as he reached out for the scrunchie he knew was lying somewhere between the sheets.

After having listened to the cat’s soothing purring for a moment, Yuri unwrapped the towel from around his waist and tossed it to the floor, slipping into a pair of boxers as he tied his hair up in a haste. The messy state of his room made him cringe, and he glanced at the clock before deciding he would just cram all the dirty clothes and scattered stuff inside his wardrobe, hoping that Otabek would not happen to take a look inside his room.

Pressing a kiss on Potya’s head, Yuri started sorting through his stuff, successfully managing to distract himself from the intrusive thoughts of what would happen once Otabek would arrive by dedicating his attention solely on cleaning.

Just as he was taking the vacuum cleaner out of the cupboard, the doorbell rang. Cursing aloud, Yuri tossed the old machine inside his room before running down the stairs, skipping two steps at a time as he hurried to open the door.

“Hi.” Yuri breathed, the squirming of his insides increasing tenfold when he saw Otabek standing by the door, his hair ruffled as he took his helmet off. He averted his gaze and noticed a few droplets glistening on his friend's leather jacket.

“Did it rain when you came here?” Yuri squeaked, the uncomfortable lump in his stomach jumping when he heard his ridiculously high voice. 

“A little,” Otabek said as he entered the house, smoothing his fingers over his messy hair. Yuri quickly made him way, taking the helmet from his arms to put it aside.

“It might start raining here too.”

Yuri hummed, placing the helmet on top of the drawer while Otabek took off his shoes. When he turned back towards his friend, he was startled when he saw Otabek having followed right behind him. As he was about to open his mouth, Otabek reached his hand towards his hair, his brows furrowed slightly.

“Your hair’s wet.”

Yuri flushed, sputtering as he averted his eyes, trying to find an excuse for the late hour of his shower. Before he could find one, however, Otabek had already pressed on. “You should dry it properly, so you won’t catch a cold.”

Yuri sighed, waving his hand dismissively before making his way to the kitchen. “It’s okay, I’ve got a good immune system. How about you go sit in the living room, I’ll fetch us something to drink. What do you want? We’ve got soda, water and maybe some milk. I can make you cocoa if you want to!”

“Just water is fine,” came the short answer, and Yuri nodded despite already being out of sight. He groaned when he found no clean glass, realising too late he’d forgotten to do the dishes.

“You need to wait a second then,” he muttered, opening the tab to the hottest setting, letting the sink fill as he stared at the huge pile of plates on the counter. If he had been smart, he’d washed them last night. Closing his eyes, he tried to even out his erratic breathing. He placed his hand to his chest, pressing with enough force to leave bruises in order to stop his heart from beating so damn loud.

Why did he have to be like this, today out of all days? His thoughts were all in disarray, his body going through the motions as if he wasn’t even really there, as if someone else was wearing his skin.

“You okay?” Otabek’s voice startled him, and Yuri took a step back from the sink, turning to meet his friend with a smile, which dropped the moment he saw the expression on his face.

Otabek was known throughout the school and by all his neighbours for being a little emotionless. And although Yuri knew he wasn’t as stoic as he was said to be, it was rare thing to see such a pure, raw expression on his face. His eyebrows were knitted together, his eyes dimmed with worry and lips quivering as if he was fighting hard to hold back his words.

Yuri gaped at him, and suddenly he couldn’t take it any longer. His throat closed up, his jaw trembling as he tried his best to breath steadily, but it was all in vain. Collapsing onto the floor, tears started streaming down his face, his vision blinding as his knees hit the tiles.

With a yelp, Otabek rushed to his side, wrapping his hands gently around him as Yuri shook like the leaves of an aspen tree. He had always been an ugly crier, getting snot all over his face while the most inhuman, loudest sobs tore from his throat with no way of stopping them. There was a reason Yuri never cried in front of anyone, ever.

Well, there’s always a first to everything.

“I - I’m sorry,” he managed to croak between the hiccups once his tears had mostly dried out. “I don’t, I don’t know why I’m acting like a fucking baby now.”

“You’re not,” Otabek said, his voice firm as if he believed in his own words. Yuri scrunched his nose in distaste, but before he got a chance to argue, Otabek’s hold on him tightened. “You should never apologize for feeling. Not around me. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of being human.”

Yuri choked, burying his face on the crook of Otabek’s neck. “You - what the fuck, I don’t even know what to say to that…”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything.” 

Yuri blinked, and somehow he felt that Otabek’s words weren’t only referring to this particular moment. He inhaled sharply, a wave of intense gratitude washing over him. It was  _ okay. _ He didn’t have to say anything, and Otabek wouldn’t judge him for it, wouldn’t think any less of him for it.

Yuri stayed in the embrace, basking in the warmth radiating from the other man, feeling safe and secure against his firm chest. But after listening to the steady beat of his friend’s heart for a while, he pushed himself up, making a small distance between them before locking his eyes with Otabek’s.

This was it. There was no hesitancy in Otabek’s eyes, only deep trust. And Yuri wanted to return that trust, wanted to have nothing hidden between the two of them. And so he took in a deep breath, pressing his shaking fingers against Otabek’s shoulders as he let out the truth he had been hiding for too long.

“I have something important I need to tell you,” he said, ignoring the way his voice shook. Otabek nodded, never breaking the eye contact they had, but took Yuri’s hand to his own, squeezing tightly. Yuri inhaled, looking into Otabek’s eyes for any signs of hesitance. When he found none, he continued.

“You have to promise me to you won’t hate me,” he said, pressing his finger to Otabek’s mouth when he tried to argue that he would never. “I know you won’t, but I still need you to promise, okay?”

Otabek nodded, confusion clear in his face. But since he didn’t look scared yet, Yuri counted it as a win. “You know the LGBT community, right?”

Another nod. Yuri nodded back, his heartbeat picking up as he neared the main point of the whole speech, the deepest part of his identity that had been hidden from people for so long, about to be brought out in the open just like that.

“And you, you know what the ‘T’ stands for?”

“Yes,” Otabek said, and suddenly Yuri couldn’t look at him to the eyes anymore. He was certain Otabek knew where this was going to, had already guessed why he was in the state he was, but he just couldn’t look at those nearly black eyes and possibly see any hints of disgust in them.

Yuri closed his eyes, and forced himself to stay still as he finally said the truth out into the air.

“I am a boy.”

Yuri’s heart squeezed in his chest as the whispered words left his mouth, the pain making him see stars as he held his breath, his heavy limbs gluing him to the spot. He dropped his head to his hands, his long hair falling around his face to hide him away. Every second that passed made him more and more dizzy, until he couldn’t take the silence anymore, and stole a glance at Otabek.

There was no change in the ever so stoic boy’s expression. He stared at Yuri, and when their eyes met, there was a sense of softness in his features Yuri hadn’t seen in them before.

“Okay,” Otabek said, slightly tilting his head. “Have you decided how you want to be addressed from now on? Is it okay to - do you have a name yet?”

Yuri nodded, his cheeks heating up when the blood in his veins started flowing again.  _ He - he wasn’t being rejected…? _

“Yuri. Like that space dude,” Yuri whispered, his stomach making a somersault when he saw a tiniest of smiles on Otabek’s face. A bubble grew in his chest, and he felt oddly light.

“Gagarin? Why not Katsuki?” there was a teasing lilt to Otabek’s voice, and Yuri nearly shrieked out of embarrassment.

“Ew, no! Who’d name himself after that pig?! Besides, his name has  _ two _ u’s,” he was quick to defend himself, but he was pretty sure Otabek saw right through him, if that smirk on his face was telling him anything. But it was okay, Yuri realised as he heard the boy snicker quietly, just like he always did. It filled Yuri’s heart with warmth, seeing how things were the same as always.

And well, to be fair, Yuri  _ was  _ a huge fan of Katsuki. But it’s not something he’d ever admit out loud. It’s just, damn that guy had helped him through some weird shit in his life with his youtube channel. But still, it’s not like Yuri idolized him or anything. That’d be weird.

“So, Yuri,” Otabek said after a while, and Yuri’s heart skipped a beat and he nearly squeaked aloud. Okay, so he had zero idea hearing his name said out loud could feel so - so  _ exhilarating _ . As if someone had lit a torch to his heart. No, maybe a bomb would be more accurate…

Yuri swallowed, trying to look as nonchalant as possible when he answered, and not like he was on the verge of bursting from all the emotions. “Hm?”

“Have you told anyone else? Will it be okay to use the correct pronouns in front of others?”

“Ah,” Yuri blinked twice. “Uhm, I think it is okay to use them? I want to tell dedushka soon anyways, and well, no one else really matters except the two of you. And no, you’re the first one I’ve told…”

Otabek nodded. “How long have you known? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“Uh, I believe like, about four years now?” Yuri said. He would never forget the moment he had stumbled upon the blog post of an older transgender person talking about his journey, the epiphany of how much he could relate washing over him with strong enough force to knock out stronger men. No moment in Yuri’s life had ever made him feel so accepted and understood, and he was vaguely aware nothing probably ever would match the sheer intensity of that realization.

“So, like since I was twelve or something? Well, basically since, well, you know…” His voice grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared entirely. He felt squeamish, just thinking of that period of time, the confusion and utter self-hatred making him nauseous. Otabek must’ve noticed it was a hard topic for him, as he didn’t press for details.

“I see.”

Yuri startled when he felt Otabek’s hand on his cheek suddenly, and only then realised he was crying again. He didn’t say anything, just leaned to the touch, let the other boy slowly wipe his face.

“Thank you for telling me,” Otabek said after a moment. “I can’t even begin to imagine how hard it must’ve been for you, all these years… I just, I wish you’re okay now? You would tell me, please, you would tell me if you weren’t, right, Yuri?”

The way Otabek’s voice shook made Yuri grab his hands, squeezing them as he tried to give the boy a reassuring smile. “I think I will be. Now that you know, I feel like I will be okay.”

His lips quivered, but still he somehow managed to keep the smile up. Otabek stared at with such intensity Yuri got the impression he was seeing straight through his every barrier, could see how scared he really was. And so he only barely flinched when Otabek brought his hands back to his cheeks, cupping his face firmly, but gently. 

"Yuri," he breathed, making Yuri's face flush thoroughly. "I will always be there for you, you know that? You are so strong, and I admire you for that. You are  _ fierce _ , Yuri."

"Like a soldier?" Yuri whispered, being reminded of the time he'd first become friends with Otabek. He had just moved to live with his grandpa, beginning his first year of elementary school in a whole different city, all alone and still very pissed at his parents for abandoning him.

But still, Otabek had found his side, hadn’t judged his scowling and biting words. Instead, he had stayed by his side, even when all the others had avoided him.

Otabek looked startled for a moment, but nodded, seemingly happy that Yuri had remembered their first interaction.

"Hm, just like a soldier."

Yuri grinned at that. He snuggled closer to Otabek’s chest, humming happily before realising the position they were in. If someone were to walk in, there’d be a lot of explaining to do…

With an awkward cough, Yuri detangled himself from Otabek’s lap, already mourning the loss of warmth as he rose from the floor, limbs stiff from the lack of movement. “We should probably eat something, I’m starving already.” 

He held his hand out for Otabek, helping him stand up from the floor. They both stretched for a moment, Yuri enjoying the cracking sound his joints made when he pressed on them. As he turned back towards the sink, he saw Otabek staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Is there something on my face?” he couldn’t help asking, his stomach lurching at the thought that Otabek might not be as okay with his gender as he had claimed to be.

“No, I was just thinking if you’d thought of doing something to your hair,” Otabek said, his fingers finding their way to Yuri’s locks. Yuri shivered when the light touch hit his skin, and tilted his head in wonder.

Otabek took his silence for disapproval, and was quick to explain what he really meant. “And I’m not saying that you should, just that it might help you feel more masculine if it was shorter, if that’s what you want. I quite like it long like this, but a shorter look might suit you too.”

Yuri flashed him a smile. Typical Otabek to be such a worrywart… Not that Yuri disliked it, quite the opposite actually.

“I actually hadn’t even thought of it,” he admitted. “It’s always been long, it might take time to get used to it…”

“Hm,” Otabek nodded in agreement, letting go of Yuri’s hair as he made his way past him towards the fridge. “You can think about it. But do you know what you want to eat yet?”

Yuri followed after him, taking a look at the still unwashed dishes that were left on the sink. “I haven’t, I don’t think we even have any ingredients. And I’m not sure if I’m ready to go to the store today…”

“We can always order some takeout.” Otabek opened the fridge, and after quickly skimming through it, turned to rummage through the cupboards. “You’ve got some pasta and tomatoes, so we could make spaghetti? I can also go to the store alone if you don’t want to.”

Yuri started washing the dishes again, and wondered if pasta would be something he’d be able to eat. The whole idea of digesting anything made the nausea from earlier that morning rise back to his throat, and he gave Otabek an apologetic look. “I don’t know, I’ve kinda had an upset stomach the whole day.”

Otabek froze. “Oh. Is there anything you think you’d be able to eat, then?” 

“Uhm.” To be frank, Yuri wasn’t sure at all. He knew that most of the reason for his stomachache came from sheer panic itself, but he wasn’t too interested in finding out whether that was the full case or not.

Otabek let him think of it in peace, motioning to move so he could help him with the dishes. Yuri felt once again a burst of deep appreciation towards his friend. “Thank you,” he said weakly, not usually being one to show any kind of affection to anyone. But today he felt that it was high time he started showing it to Otabek, for without him, Yuri honestly didn’t know where he would be.

“Have you thought of what you want to do now?” Otabek asked as Yuri finished drying the last glass and put it to the cupboard. Yuri looked at him confusedly, waiting for him to elaborate, which Otabek did once he realised Yuri had missed the point.

“I mean about your gender,” he explained. “Do you have any plans for the future?”   
  


Yuri nodded, pressing his fingernails to his lips as he started biting on them unconsciously. “I want my voice to be normal.”

Otabek frowned, clearly displeased by Yuri’s choice of words. The blond smirked. “I know normal is a stupid word, but bear with me. My voice does not sound, you know,  _ normal _ to me. I don’t know how else to express it. It’s like, it’s like it isn’t  _ my _ voice, you get what I mean? As if - as if my voice was switched with someone else’s, and this one, although it  _ works _ , it isn’t mine… Ugh, it is so hard to explain!”

“No, I think I sort of get what you mean,” Otabek said after a while, giving Yuri a reassuring smile. “I only want you to feel comfortable, and I’m very sorry if I say something stupid or make you uneasy in any way. Feel free to tell me to shut up if I ever do, I’d hate to make you feel bad in any way.”

“Beka,” Yuri’s voice was thick with emotions. Otabek wasn’t usually a man of many words, but somehow today he’d been saying all the things Yuri needed to hear, without having to coax them out of him. “You’re too good to me…”

Otabek shook his head, as if saying ‘I’m just being a decent human’, which made Yuri laugh airily. He held his stomach, butterflies fluttering inside as he looked outside the kitchen window and into the darkening sky. “How about we order something in?”

Yuri was not going to admit he didn’t want to be left alone, even for the short while it would take for Otabek to go to the store. He was thankful when Otabek didn’t question him, but asked him which place they should order from instead. After thinking about it for a while, they settled on Chinese.

Otabek made the phone call while Yuri went to the toilet, humming to a random tune along the way. The day had started in such a lousy way, he couldn’t quite understand how one single person and his kindness could make him feel so much less shittier.

After he was done washing his hands, Yuri stared at his reflection intensely, turning his head slowly from one side to the other. He took his long hair out of the bun, shaking his head before gathering it all in his hands to hold it all up. Could it really help him feel better to cut it?

“It’ll take some twenty minutes or so,” Otabek said once Yuri entered the living room. He nodded, and settled on the couch next to him, taking a look at the movies Otabek had fished out of his backpack.

“Which is the goriest?” Yuri asked, not able to concentrate on reading the summaries on the back covers. “I think I want to see something stupid instead of high-quality today.”

Finding the worst low-budget horror movies was a thing Otabek and Yuri had developed over the years, both finding great joy in judging the ridiculously bad acting and script. Well, Yuri was usually the one who judged while Otabek actually tried to pay attention to the details, but it was fun nonetheless.

Otabek took out the one still laying on the table and gave it to Yuri. “This one should have lots of blood, but judging by the director we shouldn’t wait much from it.”

Yuri grinned, and quickly walked over to put the cd on the dvd player. “Should we wait for the food to arrive, or can I start it already?”

“We can always pause it,” Otabek said, and Yuri nodded before picking up the remote. He settled back on the couch, grabbing himself a blanket in case he would get cold. Which was improbable, but it was Yuri’s excuse to feel more comfortable if the movie was too much. Which it would  _ not  _ be.

After the movie was about done with the introduction part, the doorbell rang. Otabek went to pay the food, and carried it to the living room while Yuri picked them both plates and utensils. They continued eating over the movie, with Yuri throwing occasional comments here and there. He wasn’t able to eat but a few bites, but it was already a good sign that it stayed inside him rather than repeating the morning all over again.

The movie turned out to be more boring than hilarious, and Yuri was quickly dried out of anything to say about it. Instead, his mind started wandering, and he looked at the half-finished food on the coffee table, wondering whether he should go put it to the fridge or not.

“I want to cut my hair,” he said after thinking through it for a while, staring at the messy mop falling from his shoulders all the way down to his waist. He very often made impulsive decisions, but it was hard to say no to himself once he had fixated on something. Otabek raised his brow at his sudden statement, a smile spreading to his face when Yuri gave him a stern look as if challenging him to say anything back at him.

“Sounds good,” Otabek said instead, his soft tone making Yuri’s heart skip a beat. “Do you want to make an appointment to a barber?”

Yuri entertained the thought for a moment, but quickly dismissed the idea. “No, it’s too expensive, I’ll just cut it myself.”

Otabek hummed. “If you’re willing to wait until your birthday, it could be my present for you.”

Yuri grinned, feeling a tinge of warmth in his stomach as he realised Otabek probably wanted to offer him the money without the pretense of a birthday gift, but knew Yuri wouldn’t accept charity. “No, I don’t think I can wait for so long. And it doesn’t really matter if it is all fucked up, I just want to cut it out.”

Otabek seemed to think it through, tilting his head as he stared at Yuri’s hair intensely. “But you’ve never cut anyone’s hair before?”

“Well, no, but I’ve watched videos about it,” Yuri defended his skills, his cheeks flushing when he recalled the video of Katsuki cutting his friend’s kids hairs. “Can’t be  _ that _ hard.”

“Let me cut it.”

“Huh?” Yuri lifted his head, almost missing what Otabek said. When the words registered in his head, he was taken aback, a burst of something inside of him making his stomach turn around. “Let you cut it?”

Otabek nodded. “I’ve cut my cousin’s hair before, so I know the basics. If it’s a simple cut you want, I can make it pretty clean.”

Yuri almost threw himself at his friend’s arms, but held himself back at the last moment. Instead, he nodded slowly, as if the idea of Otabek cutting his hair for him wasn’t making the air in the room feel oddly stuffy.

And so Yuri led Otabek upstairs and into his bedroom, cringing when he saw the vacuum cleaner still lying in the middle of the floor where he’d left it. After returning it to the cleaning cabinet, Yuri sat in the chair in front of is desk, facing Otabek. His friend was eyeing the slightly ajar wardrobe, which to Yuri’s shame had so much stuff crammed inside the door couldn’t stay open. Ignoring his burning cheeks, Yuri gave Otabek the scissors, hoping he wouldn’t say anything about his lousy cleaning.

"Turn around," Otabek instructed with a soft voice instead, a determined look on his face as if he was about to do the utmost important task. Yuri complied, flicking his hair as he moved. 

Otabek smoothed his hand through the long locks, making Yuri shiver when his fingertips brushed against his neck. Yuri closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Otabek paused, and Yuri jerked his head back, his ears burning when the realization of what he'd just done dawned to him. 

"I'm sorry!" he said, aiming for a nonchalant tone, but it came out every bit of as awkward as Yuri felt. Otabek hummed, and continued combing through Yuri's hair as if he hadn’t noticed anything weird. 

"How short do you want it?" he asked, and Yuri sighed in relief when his friend didn't linger on the matter. 

"Ah, I'm not sure?" Yuri looked at the wall, not having the slightest clue of what hairdo would fit him. "Something more masculine I guess?"

"Hm." Otabek rustled behind him for a while, his fingers brushing through Yuri’s hair as he pondered on what look could fit him the best. "How about we go for a shoulder length first, and then you can see if it's enough or not?" 

Yuri nodded, his face splitting into a grin when he thought of how his hair would look when it was done. "Yeah, I like the idea! And then I could still tie it up…" 

And so Otabek picked up the scissors, and Yuri straightened his back. "Now, stay still." 

The first sound of the blade cutting through the hair was oddly exhilarating. Yuri's shoulders relaxed, all the tension leaving his body as he listened to the scissors working their way through his hair. As the strands of hair fell to the floor one by one, it was as if a weight was slowly being lifted off his back.

Yuri found his smile widening until his cheeks hurt. By the time Otabek brushed his shoulders and took the towel off, he was so excited to see the result he nearly fell on his way up **. **

"You can go look at it now," Otabek said, offering his hand to steady Yuri as he staggered towards him. "If you like it, I'll quickly even the ends out and then it's done." 

Yuri walked slowly towards the whole-body mirror on the other side of the room, his heart thumping louder with every step he took. When his eyes found his reflection, he gasped, his face flushing from excitement. His hair was so short, hanging just barely above his shoulders, framing his slender face quite nicely. He stared at himself in awe for a while, turning his head from one side to the other.

“Do you like it?”

Yuri nodded, smiling softly as he met Otabek’s eyes through the mirror. “It is really cool! But I don’t know, would it be terrible if you cut it a little bit more? Like, I think it’d look even better if it was chin-length…”

Otabek nodded, stepping closer to brush his hands softly on Yuri’s hair. “Hm, I think it might suit you.”

Yuri grinned, and returned to the seat, his hands shaking. This was really happening, he was really going to change his look - no, he was going to become who he already was. Now, everyone else would just be able to see him too.

Otabek started nipping at the ends, and Yuri let his mind wander for a moment. What would his grandfather say when he saw him? Yuri was sure he would be shocked at first, but the old man had never failed to support him before, so Yuri was certain he would be there for him this time, too. But the tiny possibility, the tiny chance he would reject him made his insides burn.

It was funny in a way, how he had thought telling Otabek would be the hardest. But now that it was over, and that it had gone so smoothly, it made telling his grandfather seem even harder than before.

Yuri felt Otabek’s fingers in his neck, and relaxed. No matter what would happen, Otabek was there for him. He wasn’t alone, and it was all that mattered.

“It’s done.” Otabek’s words startled Yuri out of his daze, and he wobbled up from the chair, plastering a smile on his face to wipe off the doubts gnawing at his mind. Otabek frowned when he saw him, but Yuri was quick to turn to the mirror, not letting him get a chance to comment on it.

“Oh my -”

Yuri choked on his words, his reflection in the mirror looking every bit as badass as he could ever wish to be. The hair looked simply stunning.

“You like it?” Otabek asked carefully, and Yuri couldn’t help but chuckle at the uncertainty in his voice. He turned around, nodding enthusiastically as he grinned, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“I love it! Beka, you’re really too talented!”

Otabek snorted at that, lowering his head and muttering a soft “am not” as the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. Yuri breathed another laugh, and turned back towards the mirror. The haircut reminded him of someone belonging to a boy band or a group of gangsters, short but long enough to give off careless, fuck you all -vibes.

Yuri loved everything about it.

**Author's Note:**

> ASJdkajs, seeing the art makes me so happy every time >.< 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the fic as much as I did writing it~


End file.
